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Calibration PCB Validation

You've finished calibrating your LumenPnP! Next, we'll set up the FTP PCB to validate the machine's calibration through a test job.

We'll mount the test board, import its placement data, and tell OpenPnP exactly where the PCB is located.

1. Mount the FTP PCB

First, we'll install the mounting hardware and secure the FTP board to the LumenPnP.

Install the mounting hardware

Place the three mounting components in the positions shown below:

  • 3x M4 Thumbscrews
  • 2x Static Board Mount
  • 1x Dynamic Board Mounts

LumenPnP V4.2 mounting positions

The V4.2 staging and build plates do not have numbered mounting holes. Use the photo below to identify the correct mounting positions and orientations.

Leave the mounting hardware slightly loose for now so you can adjust its position when installing the PCB.

Mounting hardware positions for the FTP PCB

Apply double-sided tape

The FTP PCB uses double-sided tape to hold components during the test, eliminating the need for solder paste.

  1. Apply four strips of double-sided tape between the two white horizontal lines on the PCB.
  2. Keep the tape flat and evenly applied.
  3. Make sure none of the fiducial markers are covered.

Apply double-sided tape to the FTP PCB

Secure the FTP PCB

  1. Place the FTP PCB between the mounting components.
  2. Slide the mounts snugly against the PCB edges.
  3. Align the PCB's top edge with the ridge in the dynamic mount's tab.
  4. Gently pull back the dynamic mount tab while pressing the PCB into position, allowing the board to slip past the tab's raised section.
  5. Once the PCB is seated, tighten the mounting hardware.

FTP PCB secured in the mounting hardware

Check before continuing

The PCB should sit flat and remain firmly in place without noticeable movement or wobbling.

The board should only release when the dynamic mounting tab is pressed.

2. Import the FTP Position File

Now we'll import the FTP PCB's placement data into OpenPnP so it knows which components belong on the board.

Download the position file

Download the FTP board's placement file below.

Download ftp-top.pos

Create a new board

  1. Open the Jobs tab in OpenPnP.
  2. Click the green + button.
  3. Select New Board.... Create a new board in OpenPnP
  4. When prompted, save the new board as ftp.board.xml.

Save the FTP board file

Import the placements

With your new board selected:

  1. Navigate to File > Import Placements > KiCAD .pos.

Import the KiCad position file

  1. Select your downloaded ftp-top.pos as the Top File (.pos).
  2. Enable Assign Parts.
  3. Enable Create Missing Parts.
  4. Click Import.

FTP board import settings

Change the Assigned Package

In OpenPnP, a Package defines a component's physical characteristics, while a Part identifies the specific component.

For example, many components share the same 0402 package but serve different purposes. They can all use the same package definition, while each Part has its own unique identity and information.

This teaches you how to change a package that is assigned to a part.

  1. Navigate to the Parts tab.
  2. Find row: R_0603_1608_Metric-R_Small.
  3. Locate the Packages column for that row.
  4. Click on the package, and choose R0603

Change Assigned Package

Assign Nozzle Tips to Package

We need to tell OpenPnP what nozzle tips are compatible with any given package we are dealing with. In this case it's R0603. The N045 and N08 are both able to pick an 0603 package, so we will assign both nozzles to that package.

  1. Navigate to the Packages tab.
  2. Find and select R0603.
  3. click on the Nozzle Tips tab
  4. click the checkbox for both N045 and N08 nozzle tips.

Assign Nozzle Tips to Package

Set the component height

OpenPnP needs to know the height of each component to correctly calculate its pickup position.

  1. Navigate back to the Parts tab.
  2. Find R_0603_1608_Metric-R_Small.
  3. Double-click its Height value.
  4. Change the value from 0.0 to 0.5 mm.

Configure the component height

Component height is required

If the component height remains at 0.0, OpenPnP may display an error when attempting to pick the part.

Confirm that the new height is saved before continuing.

Save the job

  1. Select File > Save Job As.
  2. Choose a location and filename for the FTP test job.
  3. If prompted to save changes to ftp.board.xml, select Yes.

Save the FTP test job

3. Prepare the Job & Locate the FTP Board

The board is now configured in OpenPnP, but the machine doesn't yet know its physical location or which placements are fiducials.

We'll disable some placements, identify the fiducials, set error handling, find the boards position on the staging plate, and verify that OpenPnP can locate the placements accurately.

Disable the LED placements

  1. Click on the Job tab
  2. Locate the Placements section, where it shows a list of parts in the bottom panel.
  3. Find and select the first LED placement, labeled D1.
  4. Hold Shift and select the last LED placement,D40, to highlight the full range.

Select all LED placements

  1. Right-click the selected placements.
  2. Choose Set Enabled > Disabled.
  3. Confirm that the LED placements are now disabled.

Disable the selected LED placements

The disabled components will remain in the board's placement list but won't be included when running the job.

Identify the PCB fiducials

Fiducials are reference markers that allow OpenPnP to accurately determine the PCB's position and rotation.

  1. Find Placements FID1, FID2, and FID3. These are the fiducials on the FTP board.
  2. Change each fiducial's Type from Placement to Fiducial. Find the board fiducials Set the fiducial types

Why Is This Necessary?

Fiducials are reference markers, not components. OpenPnP uses them to accurately determine the board's position and rotation.

Set Error Handling for the Resistor placements

In this step, you'll tell OpenPnP how you want errors handled for the highlighted parts.

This will allow OpenPnP to retry picking a part, if needed without pausing a job.

  1. Like we did with the LEDs, locate the Placements R1 through R40, which should be the remaining placements in the job.
  2. Find and select the first Resistor placement, labeled R1.
  3. Hold Shift and select the last resistor placement,R40, to highlight the full range.

Select all Resistor placements

Set to Defer

  1. Right-click the highlighted placements.
  2. Choose Set Error Handling > Defer.
  3. Confirm that the Resistor placements are now showing Defer in the error handling column.

set errer handling

Home the LumenPnP

Before locating the board, we'll verify that the machine homes and completes its nozzle calibrations successfully.

  1. Raise and level the nozzle tips to a safe height.
  2. Home the LumenPnP.
  3. Confirm that fiducial detection and nozzle tip calibration complete successfully for both N1 and N2.

Set the board's XY position

  1. Using the jog controls, position the top camera over the bottom-left corner of the FTP PCB.
  2. Center the camera's crosshair precisely on that corner.

Position the camera at the PCB origin

  1. Ensure the ftp board in the Job tab is selected.
  2. Click the Capture Camera Position button to save the board's XY origin. Capture the Camera Position
  3. You should see the board's X and Y coordinates match your current DRO (Digital Read Out) coordinates, located in the bottom right of OpenPnP, displayed in green. Capture the Camera Position

Set the FTP board's Z height

Next, we'll tell OpenPnP the height of the PCB's top surface.

  1. Carefully jog nozzle N1 down until the nozzle tip is touching the top surface of the FTP PCB. We recommend using the rough center of the PCB for this measurement.
  2. Read the current Z coordinate in Machine Controls.
  3. Enter this value into the board's Z Height field toward the top. (We recommend dropping the height by 0.1 for better results. Don't worry, the nozzle compresses with a spring.)
  4. Click P (Park) between the Z jog arrows to raise the nozzle to a safe height.

Set the FTP board's Z Height

Run the fiducial scan

Now that the approximate board location is established, OpenPnP can automatically detect and adjust its alignment.

  1. Select the board in the Job tab.
  2. Click the Fiducial Scan button. Locate and click the fiducial scan button
  3. Allow OpenPnP to locate the PCB's fiducial markers and calculate its position and rotation. Run the automatic board fiducial scan

If OpenPnP cannot recognize the fiducials, follow our PCB Fiducial Vision Pipeline guide.

Verify the board alignment

Before continuing, let's confirm that the camera moves to the correct fiducial locations.

  1. Select a placement in the Placements table.
  2. Click Jog Camera to Position. Verify the board's placement alignment
  3. Confirm that the camera's crosshair is centered on the intended component footprint.
  4. Repeat with another placement in a different area of the PCB. Verify the board's placement alignment

Board alignment verified

The camera should move to the expected placement locations without noticeable offset.

If the camera isn't aligned, check the board origin and fiducial scan before continuing.

4. Prepare the Test Job

FTP Board Setup Complete!

Your FTP PCB is now mounted and configured in OpenPnP.

  • [x] FTP board securely mounted
  • [x] Placement data imported
  • [x] Component height configured
  • [x] Board origin and height set
  • [x] Fiducial alignment verified

You're ready to prepare a feeder for the first test placements.

Next Step
Your FTP PCB is ready! Next, we'll configure a feeder so the LumenPnP can begin picking components for the test job.
Feeder Setup →